Relief from heavy pine pollen on its way to Massachusetts

The Republican | Patrick JohnsonThis car parked in downtown Springfield was covered with tree pollen late Tuesday afternoon. It might not get its wish for a wash, but predicted showers tonight should wash away the yellowish-green powder.

SPRINGFIELD — Relief is on its way for that yellowish-green powder substance that has coated driveways, vehicles, houses and clothing for the past several days.

Nick Morganelli, meteorologist for CBS 3 Springfield, media partner of The Republican and MassLive.com, was forecasting heavy rain for Tuesday night and again Saturday.

“That will literally wash the trees and reduce the amount of that green stuff in the air,” Morganelli said.

“It will get drier on Wednesday and by Thursday that pollen count should calm down. We have been experiencing the worst of it during the past several days,” he said. “With rain again on Saturday it should pretty much be gone.”

The yellow green powder is a tree pollen generated by pine trees.

Then there is that white fluffy stuff that was quite heavy in the region last week. The white stuff which sometimes causes near white-out conditions especially when traveling country roads originates from cottonwood trees.

The pine pollen is heavy and not the worst of allergens, according to respiratory therapist Donna M. Hawk, the pulmonary rehabilitation clinician at Baystate Medical Center.

Hawk said oak, maple and mulberry pollen are the culprits right now and high humidity during the past few days adds to the problem. “The oak pollen floats in the air and is more easily breathed in,” she explained. “And, we can be affected by trees as much as 100 miles away,” she added.

“We are at the end of the yellow stuff but pollen is in the air from March until the fall frost. First it is trees, followed by grasses and then the weeds,” Hawk said.

Katie A. King, director of health promotions for the American Lung Association, advised people who are suffering with pollen to have an asthma plan in place.

“When the pollen count gets high, people must take ownership of managing an (asthma) attack. Identify what triggers an attack and create a personal guide so you know when an inhaler is needed or when it is urgent that you call your physician,” King said.

While the light green stuff is a nuisance, it has not prompted any alerts from area health officials, said Westfield Health Director Michael Suckau. “We have received no alert of directive from the state,” he said.

“This typically affects people with existing respiratory problems. It is associated with the allergen season and the green stuff is not with us for a long period of time,” Suckau said.